Aber
/ˈeɪbər/noun
A prefix or element in some place names, especially in Welsh, meaning a river mouth or confluence.
Did you know?In Welsh toponymy, *aber* is the meeting point of river and sea or of two rivers, and its deep history is tied to the older Celtic idea of a water confluence as a named, significant place.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*adbero-
“confluence, river mouth”
Old Welsh
OWelsh
aber
“river mouth, estuary, confluence”
Middle Welsh
MWelsh
aber
“river mouth; estuary; confluence”
Modern Welsh
Welsh
aber
“river mouth; estuary; confluence”
Modern English
English
aber
“An element borrowed in place names, especially in Wales, referring to a river mouth or confluence”
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